Slide 1: Fatigue risk management system operation.

The first step in any risk

management system is to obviously identify your risks. According to ICAO, operators
are required to develop and maintain three processes for Afm's predictive, proactive,
and reactive.
Slide 2: Predictive, as you might guess, is an unbiased look at your own operations
into areas that could induce crew member fatigue. Crew scheduling methods are
analyzed and compared against sleep science and industry data. Length of a duty day,
legs, operation, time and several other factors are weighed in this process.
Slide 3: The proactive process identifies current risks in day to day operations. The
operator examines crew fatigue reports and safety reports. Also, the percentage of
operations extended past the normal duty off time is analyzed. If a certain city pair
always encounters delays that extend the crew's duty day, the operator could
proactively add block time to that flight. So crew members would possibly operate one
less leg that day.
Slide 4: The reactive process concentrates on analyzing events that have already
occurred with fatigue as a contributing factor. Fatigue reports. Anonymous reports and
audits are also considered in the reactive process. Flight data might also be used to
evaluate crew performance.
Slide 5: After the operator identifies all of its risks. Next, it will assess each risk. This
includes, but is not limited to looking at how likely the risk is to occur, its
consequences, and how effective current safeguards are at preventing a safety event
from occurring.
Slide 6: The last step for a fatigue risk management system is action. The operator will
develop and implement ways to counteract its fatigue risks. This may include upgraded
rest facilities, new procedures or changes to crew rest. Since there is a complete
different set of challenges for night cargo pilots flying internationally as opposed to
domestic pilots flying during the day, each carrier's frames will be different.
Slide 7: However, one thing all carriers will have in common is fatigue reports.
Whenever you feel you are unable to complete an assignment due to fatigue, you will
be removed from that assignment and be asked to complete a fatigue report. This
report will not be used in any punitive way.
Slide 8: It is only for your carrier to help improve its frames. If your carrier repeatedly
gets fatigue reports from a short Munich overnight, they will start investigating why crew
members are not receiving adequate rest. Is the hotel too noisy? Does ground
transportation take too long? Are there not any good close food options? Together with
your input, you can help your carrier combat fatigue in the workplace.
Slide 9: Evaluating personal hazards. Just like a chain. A FMS is only as strong as
each of its links. Should one fail, the whole chain will fail. You are the first line of
defense against letting yourself come to work fatigued. It is important to start
preflighting your mind and body several days instead of just a few hours before your
trip.
Slide 10: Are you suffering from a sleep disorder? Is there any amount of undue stress
in your life due to a divorce, a death in the family, or a child that is ill? Are you eating
and hydrating enough? Do you have a newborn that keeps waking you up at night?
Have you recently moved?
Slide 11: These are just a few factors that could increase your susceptibility to fatigue
even before you start your duty day. It is important to note hazards such as these and
be honest to yourself about if you are fit for duty. Your operator would much rather call
a standby flight attendant or pilot than have you come to work fatigued.
Slide 12: Sleep disorders can disturb sleep and awakened alertness. In the Western
world, it is estimated that most people get 1 to 1.5 hours less sleep than they need
during a regular five day working week. A typical person might accumulate a 7 to 8 hour
sleep debt when squeezing more hours and minutes into the day, which demonstrates a
lack of concern for meeting this vital physiological need.
Slide 13: In today's society, many individuals actively attend to their nutrition and
exercise to promote good health. They should also promote good sleep habits. Sleep
loss leads to increased sleepiness.
Slide 14: The consequences of sleepiness can be decreased, physical and mental
performance decreased positive and increased negative moods. Increased
vulnerability to Decremented performance.
Slide 15: Sleep problems can be diagnosed and treated by sleep disorder specialists.
One treatment is sleeping pills, which can help you to fall asleep and stay asleep. This
may improve your waking alertness. Some sleeping pills, alter sleep structure, create
dependency and have carry over effects that may decrease waking alertness and
performance. Sleeping pills are only recommended at the prescribed dose for short
periods of time. Sleeping pills may have potentially serious side effects.
Slide 16: The effects of medications can also create sleep disorders. Medication can
delay sleep onset and disrupt sleep architecture altering total sleep time. There are
many medications. Non sleeping pills, both prescribed and over-the-counter, that can
adversely affect sleep. Depending on the specific action of the medications, they may
delay sleep onset, disrupt sleep architecture or alter total sleep time.
Slide 17: In general, pharmacological fatigue countermeasures are not commonly
advised in Europe, even though non-prescriptive substances such as mild sleep
medication and in some countries, melatonin can probably not be banned.
Slide 18: Melatonin is a hormone that can be used to improve adaptation to night work
and to reduce fatigue at nighttime. A research study on melatonin concluded that it was
not a recommendable strategy for fatigue mitigation among crew members. If melatonin
is taken at the wrong circadian time, such as early in the day, it is likely to increase
fatigue. And most aviation authorities disapprove of the use of melatonin for pilots.
Slide 19: When physiologically deprived from sleep, the brain signal is sleepiness, just
as the only way to reduce or eliminate hunger or thirst is to eat or drink. The only way to
reverse this vital need is to sleep.
Slide 20: Sleepiness is, of course, subjective. It is a personally introspective
assessment of the feeling and a self reporting of the status. A person can rate current
sleepiness on a scale from wide awake and alert to extremely sleepy and ready to fall
asleep. This self-reported rating can be strongly affected by a variety of factors, such as
environmental stimulation.
Slide 21: The level underlying physiological sleepiness can be concealed by an
environment in which an individual is physically active, has consumed caffeine or is
engaged in a lively conversation. Whereas these factors may affect the self-reported
rating of sleepiness. Usually individuals will report greater alertness than warranted.
They do not affect the underlying sleep need expressed by the level of the physiological
sleepiness.
Slide 22: It is usually difficult for most individuals to reliably estimate their own sleep or
their awakening alertness, especially if they are already sleepy.
Slide 23: Overall, there is a tendency for individuals to subjectively overestimate how
long it takes to fall asleep and underestimate total sleep time relative to physiological
measures. In general, people fall asleep faster and sleep longer than they think.
Therefore, when an individual experiences a bad night of sleep, it may not have been
as bad as it seemed.
Slide 24: However, the tendency is for individuals to subjectively rate themselves as
more alert than is indicated by physiological measures. That is, individuals are more
likely to be sleepier than they report or experience.
Slide 25: During a trip. It is also important to be honest about your fatigue level.
Everyone has different thresholds where they become fatigued. Several days of delays
and long duty days may start to take a toll on your body, deeming it unfit for the next
set of flights. Honestly, letting your company know you are fatigued will not be letting
anyone down. It will be positively contributing to the safe culture of your airline.
Slide 26: Factors affecting sleepiness. The following factors affect sleepiness. Prior
sleep. Wakefulness. Circadian phase. Age. Medical Condition. And medications.
Environmental conditions. Alcohol Conditions. Work Conditions.
Slide 27: Prior sleep. Wakefulness refers to how long you have been awake as you
remain awake past 16 hours on your regular schedule. Your probability of experiencing
fatigue begins to increase. Many people experience significant cognitive impairment as
they approach 24 hours without sleep.
Slide 28: Circadian phase refers to what time it is according to the biological clock in
your brain. Flying in the late night to early morning hours causes an increased risk of
fatigue. Our bodies are programmed to sleep at night and to be awake during the day.
Reversing this schedule as shift workers often must do can result in falling asleep at the
wheel or controls during the nighttime and being unable to obtain accurate recovery.
Sleep during the day in a normal 24 hour day. There are two times of increased
sleepiness, 3 to 5 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m..
Slide 29: The ability to obtain consolidated nighttime sleep gradually diminishes with
age. As a result, older people are more likely to experience daytime sleepiness and
should be particularly cautious when flying during mid to late afternoon and late night.
Slide 30: Medical conditions and medications can also affect sleepiness.
Slide 31: Environmental factors may also interfere with good sleep. Noise, light, low or
high temperatures and a variety of other factors can decrease the quantity and quality
of sleep.
Slide 32: Alcohol has a profound effect on normal sleep cycles. After more than a
couple of glasses of wine or a couple of beers with individual variations. Alcohol can
essentially eliminate all of the REM sleep in half of the sleeping period. This can lead to
subsequent alcohol withdrawal effects in the second half of the sleep period, including
sleep fragmentation.
Slide 33: Although often used to promote relaxation and the ability to fall asleep,
alcohol will generally have major disruptive effects on subsequent sleep. Alcohol also
interacts in a synergistic fashion with sleepiness. A sleep deprived individual who is
already sleepy will demonstrate more severe performance and alertness impairment
following alcohol consumption.
Slide 34: Work conditions may affect sleepiness by creating an environment conducive
to sleep or conversely, to alertness. For example, a dimly lit work area may contribute
to sleepiness, while a brightly lit room may help maintain alertness.
Slide 35: If you notice during trips that you are having trouble sleeping due to hotel
noise, request a new room where earplugs and let your air carrier know if a
particular hotel has this recurring problem.
Slide 36: Putting your cell phone on silent will help prevent disruptions during your
sleep. There are several other potential hazards you may encounter, either at home or
on the road.
Slide 37: The important lessons to remember are to be honest with yourself about
when you become fatigued. If you are repeatedly feeling fatigued, evaluate personal
hazards that are causing you to become tired. Try to correct or limit your exposure to
these recurring hazards. Be honest with your company if you are having repeated
fatigue problems and they should have a system to help you mitigate your personal
hazards.
Slide 38: Misconceptions about sleep. People need less sleep as they grow older.
Older people do not need less sleep, but they often get less sleep. That's because the
ability to sleep for long periods of time and to get into deep sleep decreases with age.
Many older people have more fragile sleep and are more easily disturbed by light noise
and pain than when younger. They are also more likely to have medical conditions that
contribute to sleep problems.
Slide 39: A good night's sleep can cure problems with excessive daytime sleepiness.
Excessive daytime sleepiness can be associated with sleep disorders or medical
conditions. Sleep disorders, including sleep apnea. That is, absence of breathing during
sleep, insomnia and narcolepsy may require behavioral, pharmacological or even
surgical intervention to relieve the symptoms. Extra sleep may not eliminate the daytime
sleepiness associated with such disorders.
Slide 40: Effects of fatigue on flight operations. Flight operations will, of course, be
affected by fatigue. For example, a heavy workload which requires the cabin crew to
stand and walk around the cabin for extended periods without a break may contribute to
fatigue. Fatigue is complex. However, common sense suggests that workloads may
compound fatigue, particularly over the course of a long day of flying.
Slide 41: Certain aspects of the flight deck and cabin environment can create
discomfort that can exacerbate fatigue as well, such as high temperature and dry air.
Noise, vibration and turbulence.
Slide 42: Fatigue can have a negative effect on alertness and vigilance, performance,
decision making, communication, mood and more.
Slide 43: It is necessary to recognize fatigue in order to address it, because it is
difficult for individuals to estimate their own alertness and fatigue level. More objective
criteria may be helpful in assessing fatigue levels in yourself and others.
Slide 44: If you recognize these signs, fatigue may be the cause and alertness.
Strategies should be employed. Bad mood slowed Reaction time. Feeling fixated,
Forgetful. Poor decisions. Nodding off. Reduced Vigilance. Poor communication.
Lethargic. Apathetic.
Slide 45: The misconception that there is a magic bullet that will cure the fatigue,
jetlag, sleep loss, circadian disruptions and sleepiness engendered by flight operations
must be dispelled before fatigue issues can be effectively addressed.
Slide 46: The previous section has demonstrated the complexities of the physiological
systems and the diversity of the effects of fatigue resulting from flight operations. Also,
people are not the same, and the range of individual differences in response to these
effects must also be considered.
Slide 47: The idea that there is no magic bullet should also be remembered whenever
assessing the latest cure for jet lag. Be skeptical and weigh the claims and
consideration of the physiological information previously presented.
Slide 48: The following recommendations are intended to help you apply what is
currently known. Tailor them to your own needs. The best effects may result from
combining multiple strategies rather than relying on a single strategy.
Slide 49: At home, try to get the best sleep possible before a day of flying. Try to get
at least eight hours of sleep. Use strategic naps before flying or between flights. A nap
can actually improve alertness prior to flying limit naps to 45 minutes. If you sleep too
long and go into deep sleep, it may take longer for you to become fully awake. Some
sleep is better than none. Even a short nap will decrease the length of continuous
wakefulness before a flight. Extensive scientific literature clearly demonstrates the
effectiveness of naps in improving subsequent alertness and performance.
Slide 50: If you nap at times other than immediately before flying, then the nap can be
longer. In this case, a nap longer than two hours is likely to get an individual through at
least one non-REM REM cycle. Strategic napping can be an extremely effective
countermeasure in improving subsequent alertness and performance. Some individuals
call these power naps in flight operations. Power naps have been demonstrated to be
an effective acute fatigue countermeasure.
Slide 51: Preventative strategies. Good sleep habits. Keep a regular sleep awake
schedule. Protect sleeping time. Develop and practice a regular pre-sleep routine. Use
the bedroom only for sleep. Avoid work, worries and exercise. If hungry, eat light
snacks. Do not eat or drink heavily before bedtime. Avoid alcohol and caffeine before
going to bed. Use physical mental relaxation techniques as needed to fall asleep. If you
don't fall asleep in 30 minutes, get out of bed.
Slide 52: Sleep environment. Dark room if necessary. Use a mask and or heavy
curtains. Quiet room. Turn off phone and use earplugs. Comfortable temperatures.
Comfortable sleep surfaces.
Slide 53: Lifestyle. Exercise regularly, but not too near bedtime. Eat a balanced diet.
Slide 54: It is not only important to be careful about what you eat and drink during your
flight, it's also important to be cautious about what you eat and drink before your flight.
What you eat and drink can affect your digestion. You may feel bloated and arrive at
the destination more fatigued than you should, thereby increasing the likelihood of
rising stress levels.
Slide 55: Consuming foods full of grease, sodium and saturated fats. Right before flying
or while in the air, should be on everyone's no no list. This list also includes many fried
foods. Broccoli, onions, cabbage, peaches and carbonated beverages, sometimes
called gas giants, should be avoided to prevent bloating and a very uncomfortable flight.
Bananas, berries, baked potatoes, pineapple and fish are far better to eat prior to flying.
For some travelers, these foods may improve their digestion and reduce bloating.
Slide 56: Dehydration can cause stress and irritability. Therefore, drinking plenty of the
right fluids, such as non-carbonated juices and water before and during flights can
make a difference. Avoid diuretics such as alcohol, cola, tea and coffee.
Slide 57: Light meals that are high in protein are the best choice and will cause less
fatigue at the end of your flights. Some of the best choices include fish such as salmon
and halibut. Turkey breast. Low fat mozzarella and cottage cheese. Green beans and
many nuts and seeds.
Slide 58: What can you do if you feel fatigue? Engage in conversation with others. Do
something that involves physical actions. Stretch. Move strategic caffeine
Consumptions. Use caffeine to acutely increase alertness. Don't use caffeine when
already alert, for example. Right after a nap. Avoid caffeine near bedtime. Be sensible
about nutrition and stay hydrated.
Slide 59: Responsibilities. Responsibility for the control of flight and duty time does not
rest solely with the airline operator. It is every crew member's responsibility to make the
best use of opportunities and facilities provided for rest. It is also the responsibility of
every crew member to plan and use their rest periods properly to minimise fatigue.
Slide 60: A crew member should not work if they know or suspect that their personal
state renders them unfit to operate. To the extent that the flight may be endangered.
They must not fly if they know that they are or likely to be in breach of their flight time
limitation scheme. Regulations set out that safety occurrence reports, including reports
to aviation authorities, are to be used strictly for the purpose of preventing accidents
and incidents and not to attribute blame or liability. This should advance the principle of
just culture.
Slide 61: What is meant by a just culture. This refers to a just and forgiving response
to a crew member's self report of incidents and fatigue. Report to the airline operator
and to the authorities. The absence of a just culture will increase risk.
Slide 62: Summary. Prior to fatigue risk management systems, a high percentage of
aviation accidents listed fatigue as a contributing factor. Since FMS implementation,
there has been a changed and proactive attitude among air carriers and crew members
about fatigue. Around the world. There have been more fatigue reports than ever
before.
Slide 63: Most people would hear this fact and be alarmed when actually this is very
good news. Now crew members are working with their operators to improve flight safety
by honestly reporting their fatigue. They have more knowledge about hazards they may
encounter and how to mitigate them. Arming Cruz with this knowledge is just half of the
FMS process. It is up to you to communicate with your operator.
Slide 64: In review. These are the subjects we covered in this lesson. Fatigue. Risk
Management Overview. Sleep Science Fatigue. Risk Management System Operation.
Evaluating personal hazards Factors affecting sleepiness. Misconceptions about sleep,
effects of fatigue on flight operations Responsibilities. We hope you have enjoyed this
fatigue risk management system course.